Link aggregation generally refers to techniques that combine multiple network connections (e.g., Ethernet links) into one logical network connection which can be referred to as a link aggregation group (LAG). An example protocol for link aggregation is the link aggregation control protocol (LACP). LACP allows a network device to negotiate an automatic bundling of links by sending LACP packets to a network peer.
In order to test networks and network devices that implement LACP, network test systems need to support link aggregation. In particular, network test systems should support the feature that when a LAG link fails, the traffic running over that port is moved to one or more other LAG links in the LAG. Some conventional network test systems support this feature by designing the hardware circuitry of a test system load module/card so that hardware elements can recognize a group of links as comprising a LAG, sense a link failure within the LAG, and cause a hardware-level switchover of the failed link to another link of the LAG. This is only possible, however, when the number of links per LAG is small enough that the LAG could be handled by a single test system load module/card, so that these conventional test systems could not support larger LAG test scenarios.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for link aggregation group (LAG) switchover in a data communications network testing environment.